Choosing

Flower Essences
An Assessment Guide

featuring North American

and English Flower Essences

by Patricia Kaminski
published by the

Flower Essence Society

a division of
Earth-Spirit, Inc.
a non-profit educational and reserach organization

© 1994, 1996 by the Flower Essence Society,
a division of Earth-Spirit, Inc.,
a non-profit educational and research organization.
All rights reserved.
Printed on recycled paper.
For permission to reproduce this questionnaire in any form, please
contact the
Flower Essence Society
P.O. Box 459 Nevada City, CA 95959 USA
tel: 800-736-9222 or 530-265-9163, fax: 530-265-0584
e-mail: info@flowersociety.org
World-Wide Web: www.flowersociety.org
What Are Flower Essences?
Flower essences are liquid, potentized plant preparations which convey a
distinct imprint or etheric pattern of a specific flower. These remarkable
remedies expand our understanding of health care, recognizing a relation-
ship between body and soul, and the interweaving of spiritual, mental, emo-
tional and physical aspects of wellness.
Flower essences enjoy a reputation of being both highly effective and very
safe to use. They are not part of standard biochemical medicine for they
contain only minute traces of physical substance. Rather they belong to a
new field of potentized remedies which derive their beneficial powers from
the inherent life forces within substances.
By careful attention to celestial and environmental factors which influ-
ence the plant at its stage of blossoming, and rhythmical procedures which
further enhance the living properties of each plant remedy, the essence of a
specific flower is prepared. Because the remedies contain subtle properties,
their primary field of action goes beyond physiological states of being. The
remedies are designed to help transform emotions, attitudes or patterns of
behavior which hinder our full development or potential. Flower essence
therapy is based on the insight that the human being is a microcosm pro-
foundly related to the macrocosm of Nature. The archetypes which are
found in the human psyche have their healing correlation to plant arche-
types which are living in Nature.
Flower essences should not be misconstrued as cure-alls or simplistic
panaceas. They are precise tools which can be used by qualified therapists as
adjuncts in a wide range of health care programs, or by informed and
insightful home-care practitioners. The flower essences work most benefi-
cially as part of a holistic program of health enhancement, including exer-
cise, nourishing diet, stress reduction, inner development and appropriate
medical care.
Flower Essences and other Health Modalities
Flower essences are renowned for their universality of application. They
are used by thousands of people in diverse circumstances, and as a supple-
ment to many forms of health care. Because the flower essences work at very
fundamental levels, yet in such a non-invasive way, they can be used concur-
rently with other health therapies. What is more, use of the essences can
actually enhance other practices by addressing psycho-spiritual issues which
may be underlying various health problems. Physicians, nurses, chiroprac-
tors, acupuncturists, herbalists, massage practitioners, physical therapists,
nutritionists, psychologists, pastoral counselors, social workers, and other
professionals find the essences to be an invaluable adjunct to their practices.
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 Flower essence therapy is not an exclusive answer to all of humanity’s ills.
It does not substitute for our daily practices of meditation and prayer, physi-
cal exercise, healthful diet, social responsibility, and moral development.
However, used with sensitivity and understanding, the essences are an
important catalyst toward a more health-filled, balanced lifestyle. By stimu-
lating greater awareness of our inner life, the essences build a much needed
bridge between the realms of body and soul.
How Are Flower Essences Used?
Flower essences are most commonly taken orally from a dropper bottle
directly under the tongue, or in a bit of water. In addition to oral use, flower
essences are also quite effective when absorbed through the skin in baths or
topical applications. The dosage preparation methods described below are
guidelines for flower essence use, based on several decades of experience.
Keep in mind, however, that there are many creative and effective ways to use
flower essences.
There are several levels of dilution in the preparation of flower essences.
The mother essence is derived from fresh blossoms in a bowl of water, infused
with the morning sun (or heated by fire, in the case of some of the English
essences). The mother essence is generally preserved with brandy. This
infusion is then further diluted to the stock level, and sometimes again to a
dosage level. Generally it is the stock level of dilution which is available com-
mercially from flower essence companies, although there are some pre-
mixed combinations sold at the dosage level of dilution.
Practical Directions for Administering Flower Essences
Using directly from stock
1. Flower essences can be taken directly from the stock bottle (the form in
which most essences are sold).
2. Place four drops under the tongue, or in a little water. This dosage is most
commonly taken four times daily.
Mixing the essences in a glass of water
1. Add four drops from each essence stock in your combination to a large
cup or glass about three-quarters full of fresh water.
2. Stir the water for about a minute in a clockwise and counter-clockwise
motion.
3. The essence combination can then be sipped several times throughout the
day. Cover the glass to provide protection.
4. This mixture can be newly prepared after one to three days. In any case, it
should be freshly stirred each day.
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Preparing a dosage bottle
1. Fill a one-ounce (30 ml) glass dropper bottle nearly full of spring water or
other fresh water.
2. Add a small amount of brandy (1/8 to 1/4 of the bottle) as a preservative.
More brandy can be added if the dosage bottle is used over a number of
months, or will be subject to high temperatures.
3. To the water and brandy mixture, add two to four drops of flower essences
from the stock bottle of each essence selected.
4. After the essence stock has been added and before each subsequent use,
you may want to rhythmically shake or lightly tap the bottle in order to keep
the essences in a more potent or energized state.
5. Place four drops under the tongue, or in a bit of water. This dosage is most
commonly taken four times daily. A 30 ml / 1 oz dosage bottle used in this
manner will last approximately three weeks to one month.
6. The dosage bottle can be further diluted by adding four drops to a half-
glass of water. Stir this mixture both clockwise and counter-clockwise, and
sip slowly. This is one way to attenuate the taste of the brandy preservative.
Glass bottles and droppers are recommended, since plastic may adversely
affect the subtle qualities of these natural plant remedies. It is best to use new
bottles for new combinations of essences to ensure the cleanliness and clarity
of the vibrational patterns.
Using a glass spray bottle or mister
1. Prepare as you would a dosage bottle.
2. Rather than taking the drops internally, spray the mixture around the
body and in the environment.
3. Shake the bottle before each application to sustain potency.
Use in baths
1. Add about 20 drops of stock of each essence to a normal-sized bath tub of
warm water.
2. Stir the water in a lemniscatory (figure-eight) motion for at least one
minute to help potentize the remedies in the water.
3. Soak in this solution for approximately 20 minutes. Pat the skin gently dry,
and then rest quietly or go to sleep to continue to absorb the subtle qualities
of the essences.
Topical use
1. Add 6-10 drops of stock of each essence selected per 30 gm (1 oz) of
creme, oil, or lotion.
2. Use on a daily basis either exclusively, or to supplement oral use.
3. Essence drops can also be applied directly on the body in conjunction with
massage, acupressure or acupuncture, or chiropractic treatments.
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Frequency and timing of dosage
Regular, rhythmic use of the flower remedies builds the strength of their
catalytic action. Therefore, potency is increased not by taking more drops at
one time, but by using them on a frequent, consistent basis. In most cases, the
essences should be taken four times daily, although this may need to be
increased in emergency or acute situations to once every hour, or even more
often. On the other hand, children or other highly sensitive persons may
need to decrease the frequency of use to once or twice daily.
The essences address the relationship between the body and soul, and
therefore are most effective at the thresholds of awakening and retiring, since
these are the times when the boundaries between body and soul shift. Other
transition times of the day are also important, such as just before the noon
or evening meals. Even when the essences are used in the midst of a hectic
schedule, it is beneficial to allow a quiet moment of receptivity so that the
messages of the flowers can be received at a subtle level. Many people find it
helpful to remember to take the essences by keeping one bottle of their
flower essence formula right on the bed-stand, and another one of the same
combination in their purse, briefcase, or in the kitchen.
Although flower essences can be used on a short-term basis for acute sit-
uations, their ideal use is for long-term or deep-seated mental-emotional
change. At this level, the most common cycle of essence use is four weeks or
one month, a time interval which is strongly correlated to the emotional or
astral body. Seven-day or 14-day cycles may also be of significance in the
growth process. For particularly deep changes, a whole series of monthly
cycles may need to be considered. However, in most cases changes will be
noticed in about one month. At this interval there is usually the need to re-
formulate or re-assess the flower essence combination. We recommend con-
tinuing to use a formula, or at least one or two key essences from the mix, for
a period of time even after some change has been noticed. This allows a pos-
sibility for the essences to be “anchored” at deeper levels of consciousness.
Use with alcohol-sensitive persons
Many recovering alcoholics and other alcohol-sensitive persons have
benefited greatly from the use of flower essences. Although flower remedies
are preserved with brandy at the stock level, people have found much success
in diluting the essences to the dosage level without the use of alcohol.
Dilution methods insure that any alcohol ingested is chemically and physio-
logically insignificant, about one part in 600 when diluted in a one-ounce
(30 ml) dosage bottle, or about one part in 4,800 in a eight-ounce glass of
water. All of the following four methods have been reported to be effective:
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1. Use two to four drops of stock in a large glass of water or juice, stir and sip
slowly.
2. Prepare the essences in a dosage bottle, but fill it 1/4 to 1/3 full of apple
cider vinegar as preservative, instead of brandy.
3. Prepare the essences in a dosage bottle, filled 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable
glycerin. Vegetable glycerin is a derivative of coconut oil; it has a sweet taste
and is used extensively to preserve herbal preparations.
The dosage bottle can also be prepared with no preservative if it is refrigerat-
ed, or used in a shorter period of time (several days to a week).
What to Expect from the Flower Essences
There is a full spectrum of responses to the flower remedies. Some people
report immediate, discernible, and very dramatic results. Others appear to
notice no differences at all, and may only slightly perceive shifts in well-being
and in mental-emotional states after a very long period of time. Most people
typically respond to the essences somewhere in the middle of this range.
Especially when the remedies are used for change in the inner life, we are
likely not to experience them in a very direct way. We are more apt to
observe their effect over a period of time, as we notice subtle changes in the
way we act, or in the way we view ourselves and others, and even very real
changes in our sense of physical well-being.
Flower essences are not substitutes for meditation or other self-awareness
practices. They are inner catalysts, that stimulate our ability to respond, or
take responsibility for our growth. They can help us deepen our contact with
ourselves, to be more in touch with our feelings, underlying attitudes, and
our spiritual self, and thus empower us to make real changes in our lives.
It is also important to understand that flower essences are not drugs, and
have markedly different properties from psychoactive drugs such as tran-
quilizers, anti-depressants, or psychedelics. From the point of view of mate-
rialistic medicine they contain only minute, insignificant amounts of physi-
cal substance. The flower essences are actually an etheric imprint held in the
medium of water, which then speaks in a subtle language to the human psy-
che or soul.
The essences leave each individual free to respond according to inner
rhythms and needs. This is why the flower essences are so safe, yet at the
same time extraordinarily effective. Their action is not bio-chemical, but
vibrational. Rather than overwhelming or masking consciousness, essences
work gently with the awareness of the individual. They do not work by mod-
ifying our behavior from without, rather they evoke our freedom to make
changes from within, by bringing to consciousness core archetypal pictures
which are already present within the psyche.
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Essences and Physical Disease
Physical conditions can be important indicators for issues facing the soul.
However, because flower essences are soul remedies, they should not be used
as are drugs or even herbal remedies for directly treating particular physical
symptoms or illnesses. It is thus misleading to correlate flower essences with
cures for specific physical diseases. Essences are chosen according to the
unique issues and experiences of the individual; those with the same physical
symptoms may have quite different emotional patterns and life issues.
While flower essences are not cures for particular physical ailments, the
emotional and attitudinal shifts engendered by the flower essences can facili-
tate remarkable changes in physical health. Qualified medical practitioners
report many cases in which flower essences play a key role in treatment pro-
grams for various diseases. A growing body of research in the field of psy-
choneuroimmunology continues to demonstrate a clear interrelationship
between physical illness and emotional-mental outlook.
However, there are legal and ethical considerations concerning the use of
flower essences for physical conditions by those who are not medical practi-
tioners. First, there is the practical problem of not violating local laws speci-
fying what licenses and qualifications are necessary for treating particular
conditions. There are also important ethical issues, which would deserve
attention even if there were no legal restrictions.
Particularly when working with severe conditions, health practitioners
and home-care users of essences need to know the limits of their knowledge
and skill. Using flower essences should not be an excuse to neglect medical
help from a practitioner with the appropriate training and experience.
Flower essences can be quite beneficial in such circumstances, but there also
needs to be a qualified medical practitioner who can monitor any serious
medical condition, and provide treatment if necessary. The same caution
applies to extreme psychological dysfunction, which may need the interven-
tion of a trained counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist.
Possible side-effects
What happens if the wrong flower essences are selected? Are there dan-
gers or side effects associated with flower essence use? In general, flower
essences are among the safest, most self-regulating health remedies available.
If we take essences that are totally inappropriate and have little relationship
to our real issues, then we will experience little effect.
Flower essences work by resonance; thus the wrong essences will not
stimulate a “soul chord” within us. If we take too many essences, or essences
which address only minor issues, they may be ineffective; substantive
changes will not be achieved, or will take much longer to occur. Sometimes
inappropriate or chaotic essence selections will stimulate confusion or a
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sense of uneasiness. Perhaps too many issues are “stirred up,” or change hap-
pens faster than can be tolerated. On occasion, rapid psychological transfor-
mation — or our resistance to it — can produce unpleasant physical sensa-
tions such as fatigue, skin rashes, or headaches. Such reactions are generally
short-lived, and may be an indication to re-formulate the flower essence
combination, or to work with counseling and other practices to remove any
psychological impediments to the therapeutic process.
The awareness crisis
One common experience reported by people using flower essences is an
intensification of certain traits prior to experiencing a transformation. For
example, someone taking Willow essence for resentment may have an acute
awareness of resentment, before being able to let go and forgive. This seem-
ing increase of an emotional trait has similarities to an “aggravation” pro-
duced by a homeopathic remedy, or a “healing crisis” stimulated by such
cleansing practices as fasting.
We call this phenomenon an awareness crisis, because it is caused by
bringing unconscious emotions and attitudes to the surface of awareness.
Since they were previously hidden or disowned, these qualities seem more
intense when brought to consciousness. Such experiences provide us with a
clear opportunity to witness and acknowledge negative or dysfunctional
aspects of ourselves.
Support from counseling, self-reflection, journal-writing, and other
means of strengthening the “witnessing” aspect of consciousness can help
create a smoother journey through the sometimes rough waters of this expe-
rience. If the awareness crisis becomes unusually intense (beyond a healthy
level of discomfort), then one may reduce the frequency of dosage, or change
the flower essence selection to ease the process.
With awareness comes the ability to understand and to change. It is diffi-
cult to let go of resentment and forgive if one is unaware or in denial of hav-
ing any resentment. If self-awareness has already been cultivated, there often
is no need for an awareness crisis; one is most likely to move directly into the
transformative stage of the flower essence process.
The Assessment Guide: An Overview
Choosing Flower Essences: An Assessment Guide is intended as an evalua-
tion and teaching tool, to be used either by professional practitioners in a
counseling format or for independent reflection. This guide lists three or
four leading questions pertaining to behaviors and feelings correlated to
each flower essence. Beside each question is the opportunity to designate
whether these behaviors and feelings are nearly Always present, occur
Sometimes, or are almost Never present (indicated by the letters A, S, and N
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over the check-off boxes.) The following is a summary of ways in which
practitioners may choose to use the Assessment Guide.
Client Intake and Assessment
The Assessment Guide can be used to survey the range of emotions, feel-
ings and behaviors which are germane to flower essence therapy. Once the
client has completed this guide, the practitioner can then evaluate the infor-
mation. Each question is framed so that a positive answer of Always (A)
indicates a strong possibility for that essence. A response of Sometimes (S)
indicates an essence or issue that may be in need of further consideration
during the counseling session. The Assessment Guide is not intended to pro-
vide an exact “scoring” card or mathematical formula for automatically
assigning a particular flower essence. If this were so it would deny the client
relationship within the full context of the practitioner’s healing art. The
Guide is intended to provide a time of earnest reflection and inner consider-
ation for the client, which should then be explored within a more active
counseling matrix. While questions associated with each essence address
some of the most basic issues, they are by no means all-inclusive. Rather, the
questions should be considered as “seeds” out of which can grow further
reflection, discussion, and inner work.
Counseling Tool For the Practitioner
In some cases, it may be more appropriate for the counselor or practi-
tioner to use the guide as a reference tool for interviewing the client, rather
than have the client answer the questions directly. The Assessment Guide can
be an invaluable counseling aid as the practitioner hones in on the specific
areas of dysfunction or disharmony for each client. The leading questions
listed for each essence will often be trigger points for further discussion
about the feelings and situations which are unique to the client. The
Assessment Guide can promote a dynamic counseling process leading to
selection of appropriate flower essences.
In addition to the data and observations which can be gleaned by using
the Assessment Guide, it is recommended that the practitioner consult the
Flower Essence Repertory, which contains comprehensive descriptions of each
essence, as well as an extensive listing of issues and situations associated with
flower essence therapy.
For Self-Reflection and Inner Awareness
The Assessment Guide can also be used for personal growth and reflection.
By taking the time to honestly consider the questions related to each flower,
many insights about one’s behavior and feelings can come to the surface.
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Those questions which evoke strong feelings can be used as catalysts for
journal writing, imagery, affirmations, or other ways in which one explores
the meaning and healing potential associated with each flower essence.
Following the selection and use of the appropriate flower essences, one can
return to these questions at a later time to evaluate one’s progress.
Frequently, a change in behavior or feelings will be noted, or the guide may
reveal new areas needing attention and inner work.
Even though the Assessment Guide can be used for personal exploration,
it is still highly recommended that you seek out the advice or insights of
family, friends, or co-workers who know you. Ultimately all healing involves
a balance between two primary polarities — that of self-responsibility and
awareness, and that of social relatedness and reflection. By allowing ourselves
to receive help or counsel from others, we are often able to see more deeply
into our true nature, and take humble and wise account of our dysfunctional
feelings or moral shortcomings.
Directions:
Take a quiet moment to read each of the questions pertaining to each
flower. Try to be as honest and spontaneous as possible in choosing your
answers. Pause for a moment to consider each question, but do not over-
analyze your responses.
Mark “A” if the behavior or feeling is always or nearly always present for you.
Mark “S” if the behavior or feeling is only sometimes or infrequently present.
Mark “N” if you believe that this behavior or feelings is never, or hardly ever
present.
You may also wish to mark or underline key words, phrases, or entire
questions or essences which evoke an especially strong recognition or emo-
tional response.
Evaluation and Essence Selection:
Please be aware that there is no scoring system associated with this guide.
After completing the survey, you should note those essences which contained
a response of “A” (Always) to one or more of the listed questions. If “A” is
marked for all three or four questions in each category, there is a strong like-
lihood that this flower essence would be beneficial. A particular flower
essence may also be indicated if there are two or more “S” (Sometimes), or a
combination of “A” and “S.” You should also take extra consideration of
essences where you have marked key words, phrases, or entire sets of ques-
tions as being especially evocative.
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 Most persons will discover that many questions in the guide will elicit A S N Agrimony
strong responses, indicating far more essences than can be effectively
Agrimonia eupatoria
combined in one formula. Group the essences which show the strongest
responses according to personal themes and priorities, so that you can move
toward a selection of essences. Your goal is to choose a flower essence combi- ❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that you are wearing a social mask, appearing carefree and
cheerful to others, when deep inside you feel quite tormented?
nation which is cohesive and integrated — so that each part relates to the
whole. ❒ ❒ ❒ Were you taught to deny your real feelings, to keep a “stiff upper lip,”
or maintain a veneer of social politeness?
Generally speaking, the clarity of a formula is achieved by keeping it sim-
ple. It is best to combine no more than five essences in one formula, and ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often rely on alcohol or other drugs to keep back any unpleas-
ant or troubling emotions, or to help you to feel at ease?
using just one single remedy is quite often the most powerful and focused
way to proceed. Keep in mind that you do not need to select essences for Aloe Vera
every emotional or mental condition which you identify. You can choose
Aloe vera
new combinations of essences in a cyclic manner as you work through the
stages of development and change which are needed. You will discover that
many minor issues and problems will resolve themselves once core levels of ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to neglect basic emotional or physical needs in order to
accomplish goals or projects?
change are initiated. Some important considerations in making a wise selec-
tion include: priorities in development — especially a sense of one’s “next ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently in a state of “burn-out” due to a physical, emotional,
or otherwise challenging situation?
step”; the grouping of remedies according to key themes such as anger, fear,
or depression; and one’s readiness and willingness to recognize and address ❒ ❒ ❒ Would you characterize yourself as a typically “fiery” person with a
great deal of enthusiasm and personal ambition?
the issues which the essences invoke.
The essences are intended as catalysts for your own soul development. Alpine Lily
They can and should stimulate your own inner work and unique response. Lilium parvum
Furthermore, if you are not involved in a ongoing counseling program, seek
out advice and feedback from trusted family members and friends as you
choose and experience the flower essences. We also recommend that you
❒ ❒ ❒ Isanitearthy
hard for you to relate to the feminine aspect in yourself or others in
or physical way?

❒ ❒ ❒ as being more spiritual than physical?

consult the Flower Essence Repertory for fuller descriptions of each flower For men: Do you tend to put women “on a pedestal,” or think of them
essence listing in this guide, as well as a discussion of many different soul
issues and categories of healing. If you work in these ways with the flower
❒ ❒ ❒ turbances in your reproductive system?
For women: Are you currently experiencing congestion or other dis-
essences, you will find that your choices will become wiser and more
attuned. Choosing Flower Essences is a starting point for your own program
❒ ❒ ❒ female biological functions such as menstruation, pregnancy, nursing
For women: Is it hard for you to have a positive experience of basic
of inner exploration and healing.
or sexuality?
Summary
Choosing Flower Essences is meant to be a tool for healing and self-discov- Angel’s Trumpet
ery. The Assessment Guide is not meant to replace other methods of profes-
Datura candida
sional diagnosis for medical or psychiatric conditions, nor is it meant as a
substitute for human-based counseling and other healing relationships. This
guide contains profound, leading questions that convey deeper insight about ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you going through an intense inner experience, which feels as
though some part of you is dying or encountering very deep change?
each essence and its possible benefit. However you choose to use this
resource, we hope that it may be a positive aid for you in learning the lan- ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a terminal illness which fills you with great fear, because
it’s hard to think about dying?
guage of the flowers and in experiencing the incredible benefits of flower
essence therapy. ❒ ❒ ❒ Iswhich
it difficult for you to surrender or to submit yourself to any process
requires spiritual faith or trust?

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 A S N Angelica A S N Basil
Angelica archangelica Ocimum basilicum

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to see others, and the world in general, in purely physical
or material terms? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do your values regarding sexuality and spirituality feel in conflict with
one another, as though both cannot really exist at the same time?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you going through an experience which requires spiritual protec-

tion and guidance? ❒ ❒ ❒ Does your sexuality have a clandestine or secretive aspect to it, such as a
hidden love affair?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often feel a deep sense of loneliness, as though you are isolated
or separated from a spiritual source? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you participate in shame-based sexual conduct, or in sexual activi-
ties which seem demeaning or dehumanizing?

Arnica Beech
Arnica mollis
Fagus sylvatica

❒❒❒ Have you suffered a major trauma such as an accident or surgery from
which you feel you never fully recovered?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you set high standards for others, making it almost impossible for
them to live up to your ideals?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently experiencing shock or numbness due to trauma of

any kind?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that you are frequently in a position of criticizing or judg-
ing the behavior or performance of others?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel that you do not fully inhabit some part of your body, or
that it is generally difficult for your body to heal from wounds or other
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you hypersensitive to the physical and social environment around
you, needing to be surrounded by a “bubble” of perfection?
injuries?

Aspen Black Cohosh

Populus tremula Cimicifuga racemosa

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself anxious or fearful, or experience vaguely

troubling nightmares, yet are at a loss to understand ❒ ❒ ❒ Inabuse?
looking at your family history do you see a pattern of violence or

what is causing or prompting these feelings?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you seem to have pronounced psychic sensitivity, easily registering

impressions from unseen or unknown sources?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently involved in an exploitative or violent relationship?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to bring more spiritual strength and confidence to your
daily life, transforming fear and anxiety to more wakeful perception
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you radiate intense magnetic or charismatic power, which often
attracts many challenging people or situations to you?
and inner knowing?
Black-Eyed Susan
Baby Blue Eyes Rudbeckia hirta
Nemophila menziesii
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself in patterns of denial, blocking things from
your memory or disassociating from behavior that you do not really
❒ ❒ ❒ Iscanit help
hard for you to let down your guard around others, or to trust they
you? want to face?

❒ ❒ ❒ Did your early childhood experience include abandonment by your

father, or the absence of a loving and supportive father? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you suspect a deeply traumatic event from childhood, for which
you have “emotional amnesia”?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often have a rather cynical or skeptical attitude toward life, or

feel that you must “go it alone”? ❒ ❒ ❒ Isyourself
there a shadow side to your personality, or unrecognized part of
which needs more honest attention and understanding?

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 A S N Blackberry A S N Calendula
Rubus ursinus Calendula officinalis

❒ ❒ ❒ Do
ize?
you have many plans or intentions which never seem to material-
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find yourself frequently interrupting others or becoming argu-
mentative?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to be philosophically oriented, someone more likely to

think or reflect than to organize and execute? ❒ ❒ ❒ Issaying?
it hard for you to listen or to take genuine interest in what others are

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel sluggish, as though your physical body is lacking in essen-

tial vitality or willpower?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel you need to develop more warmth and compassion in the
way you relate to others?

Bleeding Heart
California Pitcher Plant
Dicentra formosa
Darlingtonia californica
❒❒❒ Do you feel devastated or broken-hearted by a relationship which has
ended?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often feel disgusted or squeamish around anything that is too
raw or “gut-level”?

❒ ❒ ❒ Has a family member or friend recently died, resulting in intense feel-

ings of grief and loneliness?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you keep yourself under strict control, so that you are seldom spon-
taneous or instinctive in your response?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself in troubled relationships, especially ones in
which you feel rejected?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to be anemic, pale, or lacking in physical vigor or
strength?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need a lot of security in personal relationships, or become emo-
tionally dependent on attention from others?
California Poppy
Borage Eschscholzia californica
Borago officinalis
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself fascinated by glamorous or charismatic peo-

❒❒❒ Do you often feel emotionally weighed down, burdened by feelings ple, or attracted to experiences which seem to promise
which seem oppressive or stifling? more than they actually deliver?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently experiencing a great deal of sadness, grief, or loss? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you use drugs or seek similar experiences which help you to feel
“high,” or escape the realities of life?

❒ ❒ ❒ experiencing
Do you feel closed down in your heart, an almost physical sensation of
weight or “heavy-heartedness” which prevents you from fully
joy?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you a perennial seeker, always looking for someone or some teach-
ing which will hold the real answer?

Buttercup California Wild Rose

Rosa californica
Ranunculus occidentalis

❒❒❒ Do you often find yourself apologizing for what you do or who you
are? ❒ ❒ ❒ Ismunity
it hard for you to get involved in committed relationships or in com-
service?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do
you?
you feel that others are more worthy of attention or respect than
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently feel apathetic or bored, lacking enthusiasm or inter-
est in life?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you evaluate your social status by conventional standards of

achievement, rather than an inner sense of your own self-worth? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself unwilling to take risks, hoping to avoid the
possible pain or challenge involved?

- 16 - - 17 -
 A S N Calla Lily
Zantedeschia aethiopica
❒❒❒ Are you deeply troubled or uncomfortable with your sexual identity or
gender?
❒ ❒ ❒ Did you receive mixed messages about your sexual identity or gender
when you were a child or adolescent?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel you need to integrate the inner qualities of masculine and
feminine within yourself into a more harmonious wholeness?
Canyon Dudleya
Dudleya cymosa
❒❒❒ Does your life often seem like one big trauma-drama, as though you are
in continual crisis?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find yourself exaggerating events, somehow needing to have
things appear larger than ordinary life?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have hysterical or dramatic tendencies which interrupt the flow
of daily life for yourself and those around you?
Cayenne
Capsicum annuum
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently in a situation which feels “stuck” or stagnant?
❒ ❒ ❒ Would you like to make some changes in your life, but lack the energy
or fire to do so?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find that you have a phlegmatic or complacent personality, one
which tends to watch life go by?
Centaury
Centaurium erythraea or Centaurium umbellatum
❒❒❒ Are you someone who finds it easy to serve others, but submerges your
own identity or integrity in the process?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isoritcreative
difficult for you to be in touch with your own needs for rest, play
expression; and do you find that you all tooeasily
compromise these needs to meet the demands of others
❒❒❒ Do you feel that your will is weak, especially with regard to your own
personal goals for inner development or self-realization?
- 18 -
A S N Cerato
Ceratostigma willmottiana
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you doubt your own intuitive assessment of people or situations,
frequently relying on the counsel of others?
❒ ❒ ❒ ofDo you commonly find yourself regretting choices you have made,
realizing you were not in touch with your own innerwisdom at the time
the decision?
❒ ❒ ❒ your
Are you currently required to make life choices or critical decisions
which require your utmost ability to form independent judgment and
own authentic evaluation?
Chamomile
Matricaria recutita
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently burst into tears or react in a highly emotional way to
many life situations?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often feel a lot of tension or congestion in your stomach or
solar plexus, as though there are many feelings stored there?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you believe that you need to develop more serenity in life; that you
are often fluctuating between one emotional mood or another?
Chaparral
Larrea tridentata
❒❒❒ Do you frequently have troubling dreams or nightmares?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel there are violent, disturbing or fearful episodes from your
past which may still have a psychic grip on you?
❒ ❒ ❒ toHave you used psychoactive or psychiatric drugs which altered your
consciousness or behavior, and which feel toxic or invasive
your well-being?
Cherry Plum
Prunus cerasifera
❒ ❒ ❒ tension?
Is your current life characterized by a great deal of pressure or stress,
resulting in enormous feelings of emotional or physical
❒ ❒ ❒ control?
Do you tend to cope with stressful or challenging situations by holding
on all the tighter, as though letting go would mean that you had lost
❒ ❒ ❒ toHave you experienced moments of temporary insanity, or suicidal or
destructive impulses, which make it hard for you to trust surrendering
your own natural impulses or inner sense of spirituality?
- 19 -
 A S N Chestnut Bud A S N Corn
Aesculus hippocastanum Zea mays

❒❒❒ Does it feel that you are somehow stymied or stuck, unable to make
progress, repeating the same mistakes again and again in
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you extremely uncomfortable if anyone intrudes or impinges on
your living space or personal environment?
relationships and other life situations?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find it especially difficult to be in crowds of people or in urban
situations, as though you are out of touch with yourself?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isunderstand
it hard for you to step aside and observe your life, so that you can
and learn from your experiences?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often sense that your feet are not quite on the earth, as though
you are not adequately anchored in your physical body?
❒ ❒ ❒ encounter?
Does it seem that you are a slow learner, needing to develop more abili-
ty to observe and discriminate in the life situations which you
Cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Chicory
Cichorium intybus ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself frustrated when you want to speak, having
much more to say than what actually comes out?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often experience feelings of frustration, suspecting that others

do not really appreciate your efforts? ❒ ❒ ❒ Isspeaking,
it difficult to bring order, coherency, or fluency to your thinking,
or writing?

❒ ❒ ❒ forDo you find yourself wanting attention from others, especially the
desire to have others acknowledge how much you are giving or doing ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often feel flooded with inspiration, but at a total loss about how
to communicate it to others?
them?
Crab Apple
❒❒❒ Are you possessive in relationships, wanting others to recognize how
important you are in their lives?
Malus sylvestris

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find that many of your actions provoke the negative attention
of others?
❒❒❒ Are you often obsessed with feelings of imperfection, focusing on even
the tiniest details which seem out of harmony?

Chrysanthemum
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel unclean, impure, or otherwise ashamed of your bodily
functions or physical attributes?

Chrysanthemum morifolium ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you often drawn to purification or cleansing rituals for your physi-
cal body or environment out of proportion to the real need?

❒❒❒ Does the idea of aging really scare you, especially the fact of physical
death? Dandelion
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you in mid-life, or in a stage of transition, requiring you to assess
your deepest life goals, values and purpose?
Taraxacum officinale

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently over-schedule yourself, trying to cram as much as

you can into every day and every hour?
❒ ❒ ❒ and
Are you currently experiencing a life-threatening illness or other crisis
which prompts you to consider the meaning and purpose of your life
spiritual identify? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you typically experience tension throughout your body, especially
in the neck and shoulders?

Clematis ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel the need to flow more with life, especially to give your body
a chance to unwind?
Clematis vitalba
Deerbrush
❒❒❒ Are you someone who lives more readily and comfortably in your own
inner world, rather than in an outer world of daily affairs and Ceanothus integerrimus

❒ ❒ ❒ Do
responsibilities? you often find yourself saying and doing things expected of you,
rather than expressing or behaving how you really feel?
❒❒❒ Do you have a highly developed imagination or psychic life, but find it

difficult to focus or concentrate in the classroom or workplace?
❒ ❒ ❒ physical
Are you attracted to drugs or other psychic experiences which give you
a sense of expansiveness, and ease your feeling of constriction in the
body or physical world?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are
you troubled by your motives, as though there is a dissonance
between your outer actions and inner intentions?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need more inner awareness, especially to recognize and honor
the real feelings in your heart?

- 20 - - 21 -
 A S N Dill A S N Elm
Anethum graveolens Ulmus procera

❒❒❒ Are you frequently in chaotic or stressful environments where it seems

that your nerves are stretched to the breaking point?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you readily assume major tasks or responsibilities, only to find
yourself completely overwhelmed or otherwise dysfunctional?
❒ ❒ ❒ you
Are you often bombarded by sights, sounds, and smells which seem to

❒ ❒ ❒ Are
strain your ability to really appreciate or absorb what you someone who is frequently overly-responsible or over-
encounter? concerned in family or work situations, to the point of isolating
yourself as the lone hero or rescuer?
❒ ❒ ❒ and
Do you have plans for (or have you just completed) a major trip, which
will require you to encounter many new people, places,
environmental stimuli? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently experiencing a great deal of fatigue, or even despon-
dency, regarding a task or project for which you have assumed

❒ ❒ ❒ “assimilate”?
Do you often feel exhausted by the end of the day, as though you’ve
taken in far more than you can inwardly understand or
responsibility?

Evening Primrose
Dogwood Oenothera hookeri
Cornus nuttallii

❒❒❒ Would you describe yourself as accident-prone — someone who seems

to have more than your share of accidents, both big and little?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often feel unwanted or unloved, tracing these feelings back to
your earliest childhood memories?

❒ ❒ ❒ neglected?
Did you feel extremely insecure as a child, or were there harsh circum-
stances which left you feeling unprotected, abused, or
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently feel emotionally cold or distant in relationships, as
though it’s hard for you to feel love from others or to express it in
return?

❒ ❒ ❒ Does your body often feel awkward or heavy to you, as though you
would like to feel more grace and ease? ❒ ❒ ❒ Were you an adopted child, or did your mother have a great deal of
conflict or stress while pregnant with you?

Easter Lily Fairy Lantern

Lilium longiflorum
Calochortus albus
❒❒❒ Do you feel conflict about how to express your sexuality, vacillating
between prudishness or promiscuity?
❒ ❒ ❒ Were you the youngest child in your family, or did family circum-
stances excessively reinforce your identity as a child or dependent?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem hard for you to establish your own standards of integrity,
given society’s conflicting messages about sexuality?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isfamily
it difficult for you to have stable employment or commitment to

❒ ❒ ❒ sexual
Is there a current issue for you regarding the purification of your sexual responsibilities?
desires, or a sense of dysfunction or disturbance in your
and reproductive organs?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently daydream about your childhood, or wish to return
to some part of your past which seemed more carefree and innocent?

Echinacea Fawn Lily

Enchinacea purpurea
Erythronium purpurascens
❒❒❒ Are you currently experiencing a great deal of stress or upheaval in
your life, requiring you to rally all the inner strength and
positive identity you can muster? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you more comfortable with a spiritual or meditative lifestyle, which
requires that you retreat from the normal pace of life?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel somehow numb or devoid of true identity, as though life is

so painful it’s hard to be really present for it?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does the modern technological world seem harsh and invasive to you,
as though you would have been happier living in a simpler time?
❒ ❒ ❒ respect,
Have you experienced a situation which was so abusive or assaulting
that you feel robbed of your essential dignity or self-
either recently or in the past? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you require a great deal of alone or quiet time, making it stressful
for you if job or family obligations require too much “outer“ time?

- 22 - - 23 -
 A S N Filaree A S N Gentian
Erodium cicutarium Gentiana amarella

❒❒❒ Would you describe yourself as a “nit-picker,” someone who is often

preoccupied with even the smallest details at home or
work? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you generally skeptical, often dwelling more on the problem than
the solution?

❒ ❒ ❒ your
Do you often find yourself wondering where the time goes, becoming
entangled in myriad details but failing to accomplish ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you often discouraged by setbacks, viewing them as stumbling
blocks rather than as learning lessons?
major goals?

❒ ❒ ❒ importance?
Is it common for you to worry or become hyper-focused toward some
event, person or object, often out of proportion to its actual
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you easily succumb to doubt or pessimism, finding it hard to tackle
any difficulty you experience with renewed forces or a fresh start?

Golden Ear Drops

Forget-Me-Not Dicentra chrysantha
Myosotis sylvatica

❒❒❒ Is it hard for you to sustain a memory or an inner relationship with a

loved one who has died?
❒ ❒ ❒ Ispressing
it hard for you to recall much about your childhood, perhaps sup-
painful experiences you don’t want to remember?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel abandoned or bereft since the passing of a family member

or friend? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find it hard to cry, because you learned a long time ago to hold
back your real feelings?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you seeking a deeper, more soulful and eternal understanding of

your relationships with family and friends? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you often haunted or troubled by memories from childhood, and
wish to bring deeper awareness and understanding to your early
experiences?
❒ ❒ ❒ connect
Are you intending to conceive a child, or are you currently pregnant
and needing to develop a deeper appreciation for the soul bonds which
you to this being? Golden Yarrow
Fuchsia Achillea filipendulina
Fuchsia hybrida
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often get “performance anxiety” when in front of others?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a lot of confusing and shifting physical symptoms which
seem to be precipitated by emotional experiences?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you hold back from public roles because you feel too vulnerable, or

❒ ❒ ❒ feelings?
Do you find yourself reacting with surface emotions to many life don’t know how to remain confident and centered?
events, yet somehow unable to express your deeper, authentic
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you an artist or in a similar lifestyle which demands great sensitivi-
ty and inner awareness, yet also exposes you to public scrutiny?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel a need to address some deep-seated feelings of grief, pain,

anger or rejection in a way that seems more genuine and honest?
Goldenrod
Garlic Solidago californica
Allium sativum

❒❒❒ Do you often look pale or anemic, or feel drained of life force? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently find yourself ignoring or compromising your real
values or feelings in order to gain social approval or acceptance from
others?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to be nervous, easily frightened, or apprehensive; in need

of more strength and vitality?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you in a family or other group situation which makes it difficult for
you to remain true to your own individual feelings?

❒ ❒ ❒ system
Have you been through a physical illness or other circumstance which
left you feeling listless or sapped of energy, as though your immune
is compromised? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find that you seldom take time to be alone with yourself, or to
get in touch with your deepest needs, goals or visions?

- 24 - - 25 -
 A S N Gorse A S N Honeysuckle
Ulex europaeus Lonicera caprifolium

❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that there is little hope for the challenging condition or
situation you are now experiencing? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find yourself frequently dwelling on, or otherwise longing for a
former relationship or living situation?

❒ ❒ ❒ Does your personal world feel dark or menacing, with the feeling that
you can expect no improvement or betterment of your situation? ❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that there was an earlier part of your life which was more
glamorous or fulfilling than your current situation?

❒ ❒ ❒ condition?
Have you lost faith or trust in your inner process of healing or transfor-
mation, believing that there is little you can do to improve your
❒ ❒ ❒ circumstance?
Do you find yourself wistfully nostalgic or romantic, convinced that life
would be different if only you lived in another era, or in a different

Heather Hornbeam
Calluna vulgaris Carpinus betulus

❒ ❒ ❒ consolation
Does it seem that you are often absorbed in your life traumas or wor-
ries, needing to tell others about them, or wanting attention or
from others?
❒ ❒ ❒ demanded
Do you feel fatigued or drained in your job, or in a work-project at
home or school, out of proportion to the real physical energy
for the task?

❒ ❒ ❒ Isdently,
it challenging for you to be alone or to resolve problems indepen-
instead requiring a great deal of support from others?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel an intense inner loneliness or sense of insecurity, looking to
others to help fill the emptiness you feel inside?
Hibiscus
❒ ❒ ❒ energetic
Does life often seem like a monotonous routine, as though you are just
going through the motions at work or home, with little interest or
involvement?
❒ ❒ ❒ new
Do you feel you need to develop a fresh perspective on your daily tasks
and responsibilities, perhaps recapturing your original zest, or finding
and enlivening situations at work, home, or school?

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Hound’s Tongue
❒❒❒ Is sexual intimacy difficult for you, especially the ability to feel warmth
or pleasure from such contact? Cynoglossum grande

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel that previous sexual trauma or abuse has numbed or disen-
gaged you from a sense of your own true sexual identity? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel that your scientific or intellectual training has somehow
blunted your ability to perceive the world in a more soulful manner?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find it difficult to integrate the real warmth and love you feel in
your heart with a more physical experience of sexuality? ❒ ❒ ❒ Isthatit your
hard for you to think in an imaginative or lively way; does it seem
perception is dulled or overly mundane?

Holly ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to see reality as composed of “things” rather than

“beings”; as more material than spiritual?

Ilex aquifolium
Impatiens
❒❒❒ Are you plagued by feelings of jealously, rivalry, suspicion or vengeful-
ness? Impatiens glandulifera

❒ ❒ ❒ Is it hard for you to feel compassion for the plight of others? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself tense, irritable, or easily impatient and argu-
mentative?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do
ity?
your feelings for others often turn to alienation, mistrust, or hostil-
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to take over for others, finishing their sentences or com-
pleting their tasks because you know you can do it more quickly?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you struggle or compete in order to receive love or recognition,

feeling that others will get what is rightfully yours? ❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that you are always rushing ahead of your experience, not
really able to enjoy or pay attention to what is unfolding around you?

- 26 - - 27 -
 A S N Indian Paintbrush A S N Larch
Castilleja miniata Larix decidua

❒❒❒ Do you have many artistic ideas or projects which never come to full
expression or manifestation?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you your own worst critic, censoring, down-playing, or otherwise
stifling your creative expression or contribution?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find any creative process very intense or hard on your body, ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you suffer from self-doubt, often lacking the essential confidence to
take risks or be spontaneous?
often leaving you feeling drained and devitalized afterwards?
❒ ❒ ❒ work,
Does your own fear of failure or expectation of criticism from others
hold you back from making a unique or creative contribution in your
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel that your creative expressions are too dull or lifeless, need-
ing more earthly vitality? community or social group?

Indian Pink ❒ ❒ ❒ sufficiently

Do you experience difficulty in speaking or performing publicly,
adversely affecting your speech or presentation, even when you are
prepared?
Silene californica
Larkspur
❒❒❒ Are you easily attracted to many activities or projects, but often feel
that you are spinning out of control? Delphinium nuttallianum

❒ ❒ ❒ Isas itthough
hard for you to remain centered when demands are made on you,
you lose awareness of your own identity?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have conflicting feelings about leadership or service, wanting to
be in charge, but then shirking your responsibilities?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you frequently tense or emotionally volatile, agitated by too much ❒ ❒ ❒ purpose?
Do you find yourself going through life dutifully executing your
responsibilities, rather than being carried along by inner joy and
activity and lacking a feeling of calm centeredness?

Iris ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find that others respond negatively or apathetically to you

when you’re in a leadership position?

Iris douglasiana / Iris versicolor Lavender

❒❒❒ Is there little art or beauty in your life; does your life seem mundane
and strictly practical?
Lavandula officinalis

❒❒❒ Would you characterize yourself as “high-strung” — often being

hyperactive or nervous?
❒ ❒ ❒ Were you told as a child that you weren’t an artist, or were your artistic
aspirations somehow blunted?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you suffer from insomnia, mental tension, or headaches when you
are highly concerned or overly absorbed in something?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does your emotional life, home or work environment seem dull or
gray; do you need to bring more inspiration and soul color into your
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you attracted to a very spiritual lifestyle, which includes many
hours of meditation or other spiritual practice?
life?

Lady’s Slipper Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera
Cypripedium parviflorum /Cypripedium reginae
❒ ❒ ❒ Isyourself
it hard for you to think of yourself as a spiritual person, or to open
to spiritual experiences?
❒❒❒ Does it seem that your current life is only a dim reflection of what you
are really capable of achieving?
❒ ❒ ❒ passions?
Do you have a great deal invested in your spiritual identity, so much so
that you would not want others to see you as having lower emotions or
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often feel exhausted or weary, as though you are out of touch
with your own sense of personal power and destiny?

❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that you need to integrate your sense of spiritual purpose
and vision more closely with your daily work and lifestyle?
❒ ❒ ❒ daily
Do you feel that your spirituality is unbalanced, that it is either
expressed too little, or too exaggerated and not integrated enough with
life?

- 28 - - 29 -
 A S N Love-Lies-Bleeding A S N Mariposa Lily
Amaranthus caudatus Calochortus leichtlinii

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently suffering from a physical disease or from some form
of mental agony which makes you feel abandoned or isolated? ❒ ❒ ❒ Was your relationship with your mother — or any other major female
figure — full of turmoil or alienation?

❒ ❒ ❒ Isprefer
it hard for you to reach out to others when you are in pain; do you
to be left alone or believe that others will not understand you? ❒ ❒ ❒ Were you abandoned, abused, or did you suffer any other major trau-
ma during your childhood years?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel deeply depressed about a physical handicap, illness, or

other form of anguish, which makes it hard for you to see any meaning ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to develop an understanding of your early childhood
experiences, especially your relationship with your mother and how it
or purpose in your suffering? affects your current life?

❒ ❒ ❒ your own role as a mother?

For women: Do you feel a lot of conflict, doubt or insecurity about
Madia
Madia elegans Milkweed
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you get easily distracted, finding it challenging to stay focused on
any one idea or project?
Asclepias cordifolia

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to start projects or tasks, and then lose interest or leave ❒ ❒ ❒ Have you suffered a long illness, trauma or other handicap which has
made you extremely dependent on others?
them unfinished?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isquently
it hard for you to feel responsible or truly independent; do you fre-

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have trouble with mental concentration, feeling drowsy or list- find yourself needing to be cared for by others?
less, especially in the afternoon or in hot weather?
❒ ❒ ❒ Have you used drugs or other extreme behaviors to blot out your con-
scious awareness or autonomy?
Mallow
Sidalcea glauscens
Mimulus
Mimulus guttatus
❒❒❒ Do you have a difficult time making friends, finding it hard to feel
affectionate or socially outgoing?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find that you frequently shortchange yourself from a full expe-
rience of life, isolating yourself due to nagging fears or worries?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you frustrated by inner feelings of warmth or closeness that are not
conveyed easily to those you love?
❒ ❒ ❒ Itparalyzed
is hard for you to be truly spontaneous or joyfully curious about life,
instead by annoying doubts, fears or worries?

❒ ❒ ❒ Would you like to develop more trust and openness in your relation-
ships with others?
❒ ❒ ❒ Would you describe yourself as hypersensitive, frequently troubled or
uneasy even when encountering ordinary or daily activities?
Manzanita
Arctostaphylos viscida
Morning Glory
Ipomoea purpurea
❒❒❒ Do you have a negative self-image of your body or physical presence in
life?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are your basic living patterns erratic or chaotic — tending to eat, sleep,
work or travel at divergent or unpredictable times?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently diet or binge, or subject yourself to harsh physical
regimens of exercise?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem as though your internal body clock is askew, finding it
hard to arise freshly in the morning but staying up late at night?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it often seem like the spiritual and physical parts of you are at

❒ ❒ ❒ Are
war; that your body does not seem harmonious with your spiritual you attracted to stimulant foods or drugs which boost your energy
identity? level, or give you a false sense of energy your body does not have?

- 30 - - 31 -
 A S N Mountain Pennyroyal A S N Mustard
Monardella odoratissima Sinapsis arvensis

❒ ❒ ❒ think?
Have you recently been subjected to hostile or otherwise negative
behavior from others which seems to be affecting how you feel and ❒ ❒ ❒ Are
ness?
you often subject to unexpected bouts of depression or inner dark-

❒ ❒ ❒ Do your thoughts or feelings seem hazy or troubled, or do you often

feel drained and unnecessarily fatigued?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that you readily experience mood swings, at times happy
or joyful, then suddenly filled with feelings of gloom or melancholy?

❒ ❒ ❒ orWhen you examine your actions, does it feel as though you’re not really
in the driver’s seat, but rather that you are carrying out the intentions
❒ ❒ ❒ Isas itthough
difficult for you to grasp the causes of your depression or anxiety,
it comes from outside you like a dark cloud?
desires of others?
Nasturtium
Mountain Pride Tropaeolum majus
Penstemon newberryi
❒ ❒ ❒ Does your current occupation or lifestyle demand a great deal of study

❒❒❒ Do you often avoid letting others know what you really think, remain- or other mental concentration?
ing uncomfortably passive or silent?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently in a challenging situation which demands that you

take a stand, or make a choice for your beliefs?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does your approach to life seem at times to be too dry, abstract, or
intellectual?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to develop more confidence in yourself, especially your

ability to be strong, courageous or positively assertive?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find that you are lacking in fire, vitality or warmth, frequently
experiencing colds, congestion or other physical depletion?

Mugwort Nicotiana
Artemisia douglasiana Nicotiana alata

❒ ❒ ❒ Does it often seem as though your inner life of dreams or thoughts is

blurred or confused with outer, ordinary events? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a disposition that could be described as “macho”: a tough,
cool persona which seems impervious to emotions?

❒ ❒ ❒ observation
Is there a strong intuitive or psychic aspect to your personality, so
much so that it sometimes overpowers your good judgment or
in the physical world?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you use drugs, especially tobacco, as a way to feel more relaxed,
grounded and emotionally stable?

❒ ❒ ❒ daily
Do you need to develop greater clarity of consciousness, especially
regarding dreams or other inner events and their relationship to your
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself needing to blunt or numb your feelings, in
order to cope with the harsh or stressful environment around you?
life and responsibilities?
Oak
Mullein Quercus robur
Verbascum thapsus

❒❒❒ Do you frequently find yourself lying to others, or acting in other ways
which are deceitful or misleading?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you hard-working and dependable, often pressing to the limits of
endurance in order to provide for or assist others?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently facing a painful decision which requires that you fur-
ther develop your sense of inner conscience or moral values? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel you are on the verge of collapse or utter exhaustion due to
the unrelenting pace you have set for yourself?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to develop more personal authenticity, so that your values

or the meaning of your actions are really clear to others? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you over-strive beyond your true limits or capacities, generally
denying yourself small pleasures or spontaneous moments of joy?

- 32 - - 33 -
 A S N Olive A S N Pine
Olea europaea Pinus sylvestris

❒ ❒ ❒ resolve?
Are you facing now, or have you just completed an extremely challeng-
ing ordeal which requires you to muster all your physical stamina and ❒ ❒ ❒ Did you grow up in a religious, social, or family situation which
imparted a great deal of guilt or shame about your own self-worth?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel that you have “spent” all of your physical energy, resulting
in a profound sense of exhaustion and fatigue?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have unusually harsh expectations for yourself, readily resort-
ing to self-blame if your performance is less than perfect?

❒ ❒ ❒ elsewhere
Do you generally seek physical measures to heal yourself, yet sense that
your current exhaustion or dysfunction is so immense you must look
❒ ❒ ❒ Isdwelling
it hard for you to let go of past mistakes or failures, frequently
on these rather than moving forward to new opportunities or
for complete recovery? risks?

Oregon Grape Pink Monkeyflower

Berberis aquifolium Mimulus lewisii

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you often filled with feelings of paranoia or mistrust regarding the
intentions of others? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you suffer from intense feelings of shame or vulnerability, feeling
you need to protect yourself from exposure to others?

❒ ❒ ❒ During childhood, did you experience the world as an unsafe place, or

that you had to constantly defend yourself in order to survive? ❒ ❒ ❒ Were you deeply wounded or violated in the past, so much so that it’s
hard for you to take emotional risks with others?

❒ ❒ ❒ When you meet others, is your first instinct to wonder how they might
harm you, rather than how you might help them? ❒ ❒ ❒ Isthough
it hard for others to touch the deepest feelings in your heart, as
you feel wary or even fearful of their intentions?

Penstemon Pink Yarrow

Penstemon davidsonii
Achillea millefolium var. rubra
❒❒❒ Have you experienced one or more misfortunes or life tragedies, which
require you to rally all the faith and endurance you can possibly
muster? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you easily influenced by others’ emotions, making it difficult for
you to distinguish your own feelings from those of others?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you suffer a physical defect or other handicap which requires enor-

mous fortitude and strength in order to cope from day to day? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you often in a caretaking or nurturing role, yet find yourself
drained and depleted by the emotional needs of others?

❒ ❒ ❒ life?
Do you have the feeling of being persecuted or otherwise victimized,
making it hard for you to sustain faith or trust in the unfolding of your ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you hypersensitive to any emotional discord in your environment,
making you feel extremely uneasy or otherwise dysfunctional?

Poison Oak
Peppermint
Toxicodendron diversiloba
Mentha piperita

❒❒❒ Are you often hungry and in need of stimulation from food, only to
find yourself dull and mentally sluggish after you’ve eaten?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently find yourself creating negative barriers to others,
especially through anger, hostility or irritability?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you drink coffee or take other stimulants in order to feel mentally

alert enough to accomplish your tasks? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often keep a “safe” emotional distance, so that you do not have
to show too much intimacy, emotion or vulnerability?

❒ ❒ ❒ Does your mind often feel foggy or lethargic, lacking in alert and awake
mental forces? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a fear of being engulfed or absorbed by others, especially
anyone who seems too feminine or nurturing?

- 34 - - 35 -
 A S N Pomegranate A S N Queen Anne’s Lace
Punica granatum Daucus carota

❒ ❒ ❒ choosing between having a family or developing your career?

For women: Are you currently experiencing great doubt or conflict in
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often experience blurred, foggy or distorted vision, especially
when you are under emotional stress or psychic overwhelm?

❒ ❒ ❒ carriage or abortion, causing you to reconsider or resolve your feelings

For women: Are you infertile, or have you recently experienced a mis-
about pregnancy and motherhood?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you ambivalent or confused about how to focus your creativity,
especially between values of career and home, or personal and social
involvement?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isoritevents,
easy for you to distort or misunderstand your perception of people
as though your “emotional vision” is clouded?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do your psychic and sexual energies often interfere with each other,
requiring more inner clarity and balance?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have clairvoyant or psychic impressions which seem distorted
or emotionally based, needing keener perception and objective insight?

Pretty Face Quince

Triteleia ixioides Chaenomeles speciosa

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you invest a great deal of time or money in your personal appear-

ance? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you a single parent, or in a similar caretaking role which demands
equal measures of strength and sensitivity?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel a sense of shame or unease if your personal appearance or

physical body is less than perfect? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find yourself being too harsh with children or others in your
care, not sure how to combine discipline with nurturing?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a physical handicap, or a condition due to aging or physi-

cal disease, which makes it hard to accept yourself as you are? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find it hard to trust, or to act from the softer side of your per-
sonality, fearing that others will lose respect for you?

Purple Monkeyflower Rabbitbrush

Mimulus kelloggii Chrysothamnus nauseosus

❒❒❒ Are many of your spiritual feelings fear-based, such as a fear of retribu-
tion by your religious community or punishment from God?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does your job or home role require the command of lots of details
which need to be handled simultaneously?

❒ ❒ ❒ Would you like to develop a more authentic expression of your own

spirituality, but fear censure or condemnation by others?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isyouit aredifficult for you to maintain awareness of the “big picture” when
working on a project that includes many fine points?

❒ ❒ ❒ Have you experienced a premature psychic opening through drugs, cul-

tic abuse or other psychic means, which makes you fearful or uncertain
❒ ❒ ❒ responsible?
Does your life often feel overwhelming or chaotic because you are sim-
ply not able to keep pace with all the “loose ends” for which you are
of how to practice your spirituality?

Red Chestnut
Quaking Grass
Aesculus carnea
Briza maxima

❒❒❒ Do you find it challenging to be involved with groups, tending to be

protective of your individual identity?
❒ ❒ ❒ own?
Do you frequently find yourself worrying or concerned about others’
welfare, so much so that you are living more in their lives than your

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you experiencing a lot of conflict about a current social situation,

either within your family, workplace or larger community? ❒ ❒ ❒ Isdrenit hard for you to trust in the unfolding of life events for your chil-
or other family or friends close to you?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to avoid any kind of group process, finding it irritating,

tiresome or frustrating? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you needing to develop more detachment about a current relation-
ship or social situation which is troubling you?

- 36 - - 37 -
 A S N Red Clover A S N Sage
Trifolium pratense Salvia officinalis

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find yourself unable to cope in emergencies, often succumbing

to panic or hysteria? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to develop more objectivity and perspective about recent
life events which trouble or perplex you?

❒ ❒ ❒ disaster?
Have you found yourself unduly influenced by a public personality or
political ideology, responding with fear to a picture of doom or ❒ ❒ ❒ surrounding
Does your life seem more accidental than purposeful, making it hard to
have much insight into, or acceptance of, the people and events
you?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you lose your positive identity in your family or other close group,
whenever there are challenging or negative circumstances? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you in an elder phase of life, wanting to gather wisdom and reflect
on the meaning of your experience?

Rock Rose Sagebrush

Helianthemum nummularium Artemisia tridentata

❒❒❒ Do you frequently suffer from nightmares, or other experiences which

bring a sense of terror or deep emotional disturbance? ❒ ❒ ❒ Does your life seem unnecessarily cluttered, burdened or complex, as
though you need to learn how to let go and find more simplicity?

❒ ❒ ❒ emergency?
Are you currently facing a situation which has life-threatening or
destructive proportions, such as an impending death or catastrophic
❒ ❒ ❒ lifestyle?
Have you recently experienced an illness or misfortune, which is
prompting you to change and to let go of old parts of your self or

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to develop greater courage and equanimity in stressful sit-

uations? ❒ ❒ ❒ Isholdit difficult for you to contact your true spiritual identity, because you
on too tightly to possessions, lifestyle, or social personality?

Rock Water Saguaro

Solarized spring water Carnegiea giganteus

❒❒❒ Do you tend toward an ascetic or highly regimented style of living and
eating? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel alienated from or ashamed of your family lineage, cultural
or ethnic identity?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have strong religious, work, or study disciplines, which you fol-
low relentlessly, or rigidly? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently find yourself rebelling against or in conflict with
persons who have authority or power over you?

❒ ❒ ❒ programs
Do you feel that you deny yourself the opportunity to enjoy life on its
own terms, generally subjecting yourself to strict schedules or external
which allow for little spontaneity or creativity?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to develop a deeper understanding or respect for the tra-
ditions which have shaped your family or cultural identity?

Rosemary Saint John’s Wort

Hypericum perforatum
Rosmarinus officinalis

❒❒❒ Do you frequently experience states of absentmindedness or forgetful-

ness, as though your consciousness is not fully present at times?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you hypersensitive to bright light or heat, feeling particularly
drained or dysfunctional during the summer?

❒ ❒ ❒ warmth
Do you tend to have cold extremities — especially hands and feet —
with the feeling that it’s difficult to bring your consciousness and
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel depressed in the winter when there’s not enough light?
completely into your physical body?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isdream
it common for you to experience distress when sleeping, such as
disturbances, night-sweats or bed-wetting?
❒ ❒ ❒ physical
Did you experience trauma sometime in your past, in which extreme
physical abuse or stress kept you from feeling warm and secure in your
body? ❒ ❒ ❒ Ismoreyourinner
state of consciousness generally diffuse or expansive, needing
strength and clarity?

- 38 - - 39 -
 A S N Scarlet Monkeyflower
Mimulus cardinalis
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a difficult time dealing with issues of anger or power,
tending instead to “stuff” your feelings?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you frequently in situations where you try hard to be polite or
calm, but suddenly vent explosive feelings of anger or rage?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to develop more direct and clear ways of communication,
so that your honest feelings or disagreements are fully acknowledged?
Scleranthus
Scleranthus annuus
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently find yourself in situations where you seem torn
between one or more options, unable to take a firm hold of your
decision?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you someone who often goes back and forth between people or sit-
uations, vacillating in your commitment or intentions?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you experience a constant shifting of emotional states as well as
physical symptoms, characterized by a great deal of restlessness or
confusion?
Scotch Broom
Cytisus scoparius
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often get depressed, alienated or overwhelmed when you hear
news reports or consider the state of world affairs?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isenceit hard for you to see how your contribution can make much differ-
in your neighborhood, community, or in the larger world?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently experience personal despair, or feel “What’s the use,
why try?” when it comes to solving problems or helping others?
Self-Heal
Prunella vulgaris
❒❒❒ Do you endlessly try one healing approach after another, convinced
that a particular practitioner or health regimen holds the answer for
you?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you currently experiencing a challenging health problem or other
dysfunction which requires that you rally all your healing forces?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find it hard to see how anything you think, feel or do could
make any real difference in your state of wellness?
- 40 -
A S N Shasta Daisy
Crysanthemum maximum
❒ ❒ ❒ make
Do you have a challenging time when writing or performing other
intellectual tasks, because it’s difficult for you to see the main idea or
clear sense of what you are doing?
❒ ❒ ❒ picture?
Are you someone who tends to be overly analytical, easily seeing all the
bits and pieces but not always grasping or appreciating the larger
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seems as though your life is full of chaos or divergent threads,
requiring you to find more meaning, integration or harmony?
Shooting Star
Dodecatheon hendersonii
❒ ❒ ❒ Was there considerable trauma surrounding your birth, or the earliest
months of your life?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you particularly fascinated by stories of UFO’s or extra-terrestrial
encounters, or do you feel that you’ve had such an encounter?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often feel deeply alienated, as though you don’t feel quite at
home on earth, or part of the human family?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does your consciousness feel more cosmic than human, leading you to
feel less interested in earthly life or mundane, worldly affairs?
Snapdragon
Antirrhinum majus
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend toward verbal abuse or insults, tending to lash out at oth-
ers suddenly and without much forethought?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem as though you have excess energy in your mouth, needing
to chew, eat or talk a great deal?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a powerful will or libido, but find it challenging to direct
your forces in constructive rather than destructive channels?
Star of Bethlehem
Ornithogalum umbellatum
❒ ❒ ❒ Were you subject to a very deep trauma or assault from which you feel
you have never regained your original vitality or strength?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that a deep sense of inner peace and self-containment is
lacking in your life, due to stress and other trauma?
❒ ❒ ❒ Have you suffered from a prolonged state of psychic stress which has
led you to feel cut off from your Spiritual Self or deepest soul feelings?
- 41 -
 A S N Star Thistle A S N Sweet Chestnut
Centaurea solstitialis Castanea sativa

❒❒❒ Are you extremely conscious of all of your material possessions or per-
sonal wealth, feeling it as a form of personal security?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel that you have hit “rock bottom,” caught in such an extreme
state of despair that there appears to be no way out?

❒ ❒ ❒ Did you grow up in poverty or in an economically or emotionally

unstable situation, which made it hard for you to feel materially secure?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel extreme mental anguish or suffering, as though you have
reached the breaking point of what you can endure?

❒ ❒ ❒ source
Are you experiencing a sense of utter aloneness or abandonment, test-

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a hard time being open or generous, sharing what you ing your faith that there really is a Higher Power or loving spiritual
have with others, or taking financial risks? for you?

Star Tulip Sweet Pea

Lathyrus latifolus
Calochortus tolmiei

❒❒❒ Do you feel that you lack an inner life, and are unable to contact your
own spiritual guidance or inner wisdom?
❒ ❒ ❒ you
Did you move a great deal during childhood or throughout life, so
much so that it’s hard to feel connected or interested in any place that
live?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you want to be in touch with the feminine side of your conscious-

ness, and to be able to listen to others be receptive and intuitive? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have a hard time calling the neighborhood, community or geo-
graphic area where you live truly “home”?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you find it difficult to pray or meditate, or recall your dreams? ❒ ❒ ❒ you?

Do you feel out of touch with your environmental surroundings, not
really feeling rooted or sustained by the land and the people around

Sticky Monkeyflower Tansy

Mimulus aurantiacus Tanacetum vulgare

❒ ❒ ❒ Have you had a number of sexual relationships which mean very little
to the deeper feelings within your heart? ❒ ❒ ❒ Have you been characterized as “lazy” or an “under-achiever,” because
it seems that you are not really acting on your full potential?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you hold back from expressing yourself as a sexual human being,

because it is hard to feel safe in conveying your inner feelings to ❒ ❒ ❒ pressure
Do you tend to procrastinate, or energetically withdraw from participa-
tion or commitment as a way of staying contained and coping with
from others?
another?

❒❒❒ Are you frightened or awed by sexual intimacy, unsure of how to deal
with your own vulnerability or feelings of love and warmth?
❒ ❒ ❒ enthusiasm,
Did your childhood include a great deal of chaos, confusion or emo-
tional instability, which caused you to suppress your natural
curiosity, or energetic response to situations?

Sunflower Tiger Lily

Helianthus annuus Lilium humboldtii

❒❒❒ Is your relationship with your father, or any other significant male fig-
ures, full of tension or unresolved conflict?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that you are overly aggressive or competitive, excessively
concerned about your own performance?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often come on strong or seem overbearing to others, even

though you know it is just your way of trying to convey confidence?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to have separatist tendencies, thinking about your own
aims and goals, rather than developing cooperative strategies?

❒ ❒ ❒ to menopause, especially stronger, more masculine forces which you

For women: Are you currently experiencing energetic fluctuations due

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel uncertain or insecure about your own core identity or

sense of individuality? need to balance and integrate?

- 42 - - 43 -
 A S N Trillium A S N Violet
Trillium chloropetalum Viola odorata

❒❒❒ Do you frequently find yourself measuring your own or others’ worth
by standards of financial wealth and personal power? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you suffer from a deep sense of shyness or loneliness, wanting to
share more of yourself with others but afraid to do so?

❒ ❒ ❒ Would you characterize yourself as extremely ambitious, someone who

needs a great deal of wealth and personal influence in order to achieve
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often feel fragile or uneasy in group situations, as though your
sense of self gets lost or submerged?
your life goals?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to have a great deal of reserve, frequently working alone or
silently; so much so that others might perceive you as being aloof?
❒ ❒ ❒ Isif you
your consciousness often directed toward survival issues, feeling that
had more money or economic security your problems would be
Walnut
solved?
Juglans regia
Trumpet Vine
Campsis tagliabuana
❒ ❒ ❒ conviction
Do you tend to be negatively influenced by family ties or social expecta-
tions which hold you back from following your own sense of
or destiny?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you speak in a flat, monotone, or unexpressive voice? ❒ ❒ ❒ patterns,

Are you attempting to establish a new program of inner development,
or change in lifestyle; yet finding yourself succumbing to old habit
thoughts, or beliefs which retard your progress?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you stutter or stammer when you speak, or have other difficulty
fully expressing yourself?
❒ ❒ ❒ new
Are you in a major state of transition — either physical or psychologi-
cal — which will require you to view yourself and others in an utterly
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to bring more colorful and creative expression to your
speech and your general way of presenting yourself?
or courageous way?

Vervain Water Violet

Hottonia palustris
Verbena officinalis

❒❒❒ Do you believe that the world would be better off if only others heeded
your vision and values?
❒ ❒ ❒ Does it seem that you are often rather aloof or socially distant, making
it hard for people to really get to know you?

❒ ❒ ❒ associate
Do you find yourself measuring others according to social status or

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you possess great feelings of enthusiasm and intensity, so much so economic background, often with the sense that you would not want to
that you can tense and push your body beyond its natural energy level? with someone beneath your level?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you overwhelm others with your convictions, making it difficult for

them to freely develop a response or openly explore your point of view? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you at your best when you work independently, finding that when
you work with others you are easily annoyed or otherwise stymied?

Vine White Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum
Vitis vinifera

❒❒❒ Do you often demand obedience or allegiance from others, with a

strong need to be in control or to direct others?
❒ ❒ ❒ resolution?
Does your mind sometimes seem like an echo chamber, constantly
replaying bits of conversations or life episodes without any apparent

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you frequently assertive to the point of being aggressive, wanting to

be in charge and insure things will be done “your way”? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you suffer from a great deal of mental agitation or racing thoughts,
often resulting in insomnia, fitful sleep, or general restlessness?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you possess such a strong will that it often seems to overpower or

overwhelm those around you? ❒ ❒ ❒ Isinnerit usually difficult for you to pray or meditate, or to experience an
state of calm objectivity or inner peace?

- 44 - - 45 -
 A S N Wild Oat Yarrow Special Formula
Bromus ramosus Achillea millefolium, Arnica mollis, Echinacea purpurea

❒❒❒ Do you feel that your current vocation or lifestyle is not in keeping with
your sense of inner destiny and life purpose? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you travel frequently, especially through airports?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you have many talents and capabilities, yet find it difficult to really
focus or harness these gifts toward a worldly vocation?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you work often around video display terminals, or other devices
transmitting radiation?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you chronically dissatisfied with your work or employment, unable

to feel real commitment or interest even after trying many different
❒ ❒ ❒ Have you had numerous X-rays taken, either recently or in the past?
situations?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you live in a geographic area which is polluted or toxic, or with
strong electromagnetic frequencies?
Wild Rose
Yellow Star Tulip
Rosa canina
Calochortus monophyllus

❒ ❒ ❒ Has a prolonged illness or other life situation drained you of vitality or

enthusiasm for life? ❒ ❒ ❒ Isareitreally
hard for you to make contact with others, to understand what they
feeling or saying?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently feel resigned or apathetic, as though life seems hard-

ly worth the effort it requires? ❒ ❒ ❒ understand more fully how you’ve hurt others even
Do you need to look at some of the consequences of your actions, to

when you may not have been aware of it?

❒ ❒ ❒ you
Do you tend to recover from illness or other setbacks very slowly,
seemingly unable to harness the full forces of physical vitality which
need for recovery? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you need to develop more empathetic sensitivity in your role as a
parent, teacher or manager, or in other social interactions?

Willow Yerba Santa

Salix vitellina Eriodictyon californicum

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to hold on to past injustices or misfortunes, leading to

feelings of bitterness or resentment? ❒❒❒ Do you sense within yourself a deep, unexplained grief or profound
sadness, which has never been fully realized or explored?

❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently find yourself in the role of “victim,” feeling that you
are being persecuted or unfairly punished? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you feel physical constriction in your chest, or suffer from afflic-
tions to the heart and lungs such as asthma, pneumonia, tobacco
addiction or breathing disturbances?

❒ ❒ ❒ Are you emotionally inflexible, finding it difficult to forgive others, or

to be accepting and yielding?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you tend to tighten your breath as a way of coping with painful feel-
ings, or otherwise hold on to deep feelings of sadness, grief or other
soul afflictions?
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
❒ ❒ ❒ not
Are you someone who is extremely sensitive and keenly aware of your
environment and of the thoughts and intentions of others, even when
spoken? ❒❒❒ Does your life seem overly grim or serious, as though you are gritting
your teeth to get through each day?

❒❒❒ Do you have many allergic responses to food or environmental stimuli,

feeling that you need more inner strength and integrity? ❒ ❒ ❒ Are you someone who could be described as “over-dutiful” or a
“workaholic,” carrying a load of somber responsibilities which seem
never-ending?
❒ ❒ ❒ Do you often find yourself depleted when you are in crowds, while
traveling, or in taxing or challenging social situations?
❒ ❒ ❒ Are you able to laugh at yourself, or find moments of spontaneity or
humor on a daily basis?
❒ ❒ ❒ nothing
Does your work as a healer, teacher or parent require enormous forces
of compassion and giving, which often leaves you feeling you have
more to give? ❒ ❒ ❒ Do you frequently take time to play with children, or to schedule activ-
ities for yourself which are truly enjoyable and uplifting?

- 46 - - 47 -
 About the Author
Patricia Kaminski is co-director of the Flower Essence Society, a
world-wide educational and research organization, in Nevada City,
California. She has been instrumental in designing and administrating the
Society's research and practitioner training programs, and is editor of the
Flower Essence Society Newsletter. Patricia also maintains a private flower
essence therapy practice, and enjoys creating the gardens at Terra Flora, a 17-
acre Nature sanctuary in Nevada City, California. She is co-author of the
Flower Essence Repertory and has written and taught around the world on
the subject of flower essences for over 17 years.

About the Publisher

The Flower Essence Society, founded in 1979, is a division of Earth-
Spirit, Inc., a non-profit educational and research organization. There are
four major purposes of the Society:
1) to promote plant research and empirical clinical research on the thera-
peutic effects of flower essences
2) to conduct training and certification programs for active flower
essence practitioners, as well as public classes and seminars throughout the
world
3) to disseminate publications about flower essence therapy to practi-
tioners and to the general public throughout the world
4) to provide a communication and referral network for those who are
teaching, researching, or practicing in the field of flower essence therapy.

- 48 -